Vatican City
The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the
world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael
Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

Austria
Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital
is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and
incredible history & food. Go Now!

Ukraine
Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian
Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Slovenia

Ethnicity

Most of Slovenia's population is ethnically Slovene,
which is primarily a combination of eastern and southern Slavs, making their closest
relatives the Czechs and Croatians,
while being more distantly related to the Poles, Slovaks, and Bulgarians among others.
There are also small groups of ethnic Italians, Magyars (Hungarians), Serbs, and Croats in
the country today.

Language

Slovenian is the only official national language in Slovenia,
although both Italian and Hungarian
are regionally recognized. Slovenian is a southern Slavic language, most similar
to what is known in English as Serbo-Croatian. Serbo-Croatian is often referred
to in more specific terms by individuals in the region as many people prefer calling
the language Croatian, Bosnian, or Serbian.

No matter what native language an individual speaks, most Slovenians today learn
English as a second language, making English the language of communication between
groups and in some sectors, such as tourism. Learning this language is especially
true among younger people as few people learned English during the Yugoslavia era.

Most Slovenians are Catholics, but there is a growing trend of atheism and unaffiliated
Christianity. There are no other significant religious groups in
Slovenia in terms of number of adherents.

Catholicism is a Christian religion that is one of the first Christian religions
(founded after the death of Jesus in about 30-33 AD). Catholicism believes that
there is a single God who created everything, a savior, the son of God, Jesus Christ
who is the forgiver of sins, and there is the Holy Spirit, which makes up the last
part of the Holy Trinity. Catholics follow the teachings of the Bible, consisting
of the Old and New Testaments. Much of the faith is based on the life and teachings
of Jesus, which is found in the gospels (in the New Testament).